Homeless World Cup

24 February 2016Street Soccer

Homeless World Cup

We’re excited to introduce the team of Street Socceroos for the 2016 Homeless World Cup.

The seven homeless and disadvantaged players were selected from our Community Street Soccer Program. This year, the Homeless World Cup will be in Glasgow, Scotland, from 10-16 July. Teams from 51 nations are expected to compete at the event.

The Big Issue CEO Steven Persson said the tournament used the universal language of soccer to break down barriers and promote community engagement for players from all walks of life.

“The Homeless World Cup is an opportunity for our Street Socceroos to connect with homeless and disadvantaged men and women from around the world in the spirit of friendship, social inclusion and fair play,” he said.

“For some, this is also their first opportunity to travel outside Australia.”

The Australian team was selected from hundreds of participants in the Community Street Soccer Program – a national grassroots initiative that uses soccer to help participants reconnect with their community and make positive changes in their lives. Read more about the program here.